Suspected Serial Arsonist Targeting Hudson Valley Towns

Investigators are scrambling to find out who may be behind a string of suspicious fires that are being set throughout the Hudson Valley.

The Times Herald Record reports that eight suspicious fires have been reported since July in Orange County. The fires, discovered in areas as widespread as Middletown, Monroe and Washingtonville do have a common thread that authorities believe could connect them to the same culprit.

Because the fires took place during such a long period of time and over a wide geographic area investigators are not ruling out the possibility that even more fires from earlier in the year, or even a wider area of the Hudson Valley could be connected to the case.

In most instances, the buildings allegedly set ablaze were abandoned and without electricity. Some, however, were in close proximity to occupied homes and posed serious danger to the community.

Arson cases are difficult to crack, and perpetrators are usually found only after eyewitnesses step forward. If anyone has any information about these suspicious fires they are asked to call either the New York State Police in Monroe at 782-8311 or Middletown police at 343-3515.